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Original poster

is it catastrophic not to take language GCSE?

49 replies

pixieprincessdude · 06/02/2019 15:51

My daughter is choosing her options (or pathways as they are now quaintly referred) and wants to drop French. Is this going to totally ruin her life as she wont have the holy grail of the EBac? Which Uni's actually demand it? She has a level of dyslexia so reading and writing in English is a challenge for her and I totally sympathise with her not wanting to misspell in another language too - that said she's bright and may well want to study to a higher level (she wants to be a child psychologist or play worker which means she'll need a masters) and I don't want to kill her choices. She would like to replace it with RE which actually looks more relevant to her choices.

OP posts:
DinkyDaisy · 06/02/2019 16:14

Well, certainly hope not catastrophic! In fact know it isn't...
My rather academic child chosen not to do a language but is doing history, geography and music as options.
He was adamant those three were non-negotiable and a language had to go...

TeenTimesTwo · 06/02/2019 16:20

No unis demand it.
Not catastrophic.

mathsquestions · 06/02/2019 16:24

Some unis may ask for a foreign language

Zoflorabore · 06/02/2019 16:24

I was extremely good at French as soon as I started it many years ago in year 7, got the highest grade in my GCSE then A level and studied it at university.
I was gutted when ds ( now 15 ) didn't choose it as one of his options and he was so good at it.
He's doing 3 year GCSE's and is in year 11 with options of Art, Drama, Photography and History.
This week he was offered an art scholarship to a brilliant college so I doubt it has held him back.

I'm working on younger dd....

titchy · 06/02/2019 16:25

Some unis may ask for a foreign language

Bollocks

cestlavielife · 06/02/2019 16:27

Of course it is not catastrophic
She can always learn a language later if she needs to
Let her do.the subjects she likes and will be good at

ReflectentMonatomism · 06/02/2019 16:33

Some unis may ask for a foreign language

As titchy says, bollocks. UCL insist that you do a 10 (20?) credit introductory first year foreign language module, if you don't have GCSE in a MFL. Students who do have an MFL have a wider range of choices in that slot. That's it.

(Oh, you might find some universities have a similar "GCSE or do a module" rule if you want to do a year abroad, but that's post-admission).

Peridot1 · 06/02/2019 16:36

I think Trinity College in Dublin ask for a MFL. I know because DS was looking. He did Spanish but didn’t actually sit the exam.

Don’t think it’s an issue everywhere though.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/02/2019 16:38

Trinity College Dublin insist on it. But Irish students do a language in the leaving cert. my DD was very pleased I had hounded her into doing a language.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/02/2019 16:39

Ooh cross posted with Peridot

ajandjjmum · 06/02/2019 16:47

DS didn't - did an academic degree at Sheffield, and his Masters at Imperial. He was also offered a place at UCL, so that couldn't be that worried about it.

Oddly enough, his gf is a linguist, and he is currently trying to get to grips with French in his mid/late 20s! Grin

ReflectentMonatomism · 06/02/2019 16:47

I think Trinity College in Dublin ask for a MFL

I don't think it's unreasonable to respond to a question couched in terms of GCSEs and the EBacc in terms of universities you can put on a UCAS form, really.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/02/2019 17:02

Fair enough but lots of UK kids study in Ireland, it’s a good option.

ClerkMaxwell · 06/02/2019 17:11

Some Scottish unis (St Andrews) indicate a preference for a language for subjects like history. However DN got an offer last year without so definitely not catastrophic.

BubblesBuddy · 06/02/2019 17:25

No. Not catastrophic. Just sad. We don't value languages, do we?

catndogslife · 06/02/2019 17:33

Having a language GCSE isn't really going to be relevant for the type of careers that your dd is considering.
Your dd does imho have a good reason for not choosing a language.
It is sad though that many young people who would be more than capable of taking MFLs choose not to do so.

BubblesBuddy · 06/02/2019 17:40

I think it is wrong to look at MFL GCSEs as being work related. They are not. You really need to get to degree standard to make them count. However it shows you stuck at something, used part of your brain that's not used so often and actually learned vocabulary. It says something about you!

AtiaoftheJulii · 06/02/2019 18:00

We don't value languages, do we?

People value all sorts of things, and compromises are often made. My eldest 3 did Latin, 2x German, French and Spanish GCSEs between them. My youngest isn't doing a language GCSE, not because she or we don't value languages, but because there are other factors involved!

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/02/2019 18:37

At my school I did French, Welsh and Latin (bog standard comp). Only took the French on to O Level, but it gave me definite confidence to have a bash with languages; I’ve done Spanish night classes, learned a smattering of Italian from CDs, even learned a handful of Polish phrases off the internet before going to Krakow last year. It’s a shame if some kids are missing out on that opportunity.

Somethingsmellsnice · 06/02/2019 18:47

If she is dyslexic and the school insist on her taking a language the British Dyslexia Association page suggests German is more suitable than French. www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/educator/modern-foreign-languages

Unis (as mentioned already don't require it).

The EBacc is not a holy grail and is merely a school measure and if her other subjects are sensible noone other than her school will ever give a crap!

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/02/2019 18:55

Wonder if the EBacc stats mean that in some schools kids are being pressured to do a language?

AlexaShutUp · 06/02/2019 19:02

I'm the biggest advocate of foreign language learning - did 3 for GSCE and went on to learn 5 more! I think they're great choices but even I don't think it's catastrophic if kids choose to drop them. Most kids don't get to the end of their GCSE course with a huge amount of fluency in any case.

I do think it's very sad that languages are so unpopular in this country, and I wish that they were taught more effectively at all primary schools so that kids could develop a higher level of competence.

But I don't think it will do individual DC any harm if they don't choose them. They can always learn a language later on if they regret it.

LuluJakey1 · 06/02/2019 19:04

Not catastrophic at all- unless you want to do French at uni. Ebacc is bollocks. Many children and schools ignore it completely.

Lilao · 06/02/2019 19:07

I did a language at GCSE and got a C but didn't have a requirement to use it and now over 10 years later can hardly remember it!

A language GCSE will really only be useful if your child will use it.

I also was never asked about it whilst looking at Uni choices and don't remember seeing it as a requirement anywhere but times might have changed.

brizzledrizzle · 06/02/2019 19:12

Last time I looked it was only Imperial College which wanted a language.

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